Skinny Meatball Mania: 10 Healthy + Hearty Recipes

by Andrea Moak | February 20, 2014

The Meatball Madness (meatballs moving off the appetizer list and sprinting their way to dinner time staple status) rage makes sense. These hearty heaps of scrumptious-ness can be served alone or as a main course topped on whole grain pasta, brown rice, or grain bread for a meaty meal solution. With the variety of preparation styles at your fingertips, you are sure to jump on the meatball bandwagon.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs: Stick a skewer in them and call it a day. Or top your salad with these chicken meatballs and a sprinkle of blue cheese and satisfy a buffalo wing craving with a satisfying skinny save.

Make Ahead Meatballs: Want the taste of Thanksgiving dinner with virtually no time or planning? Who doesn’t?! Be sure to have these meatballs prepared and stashed when the craving calls. A perfect component to virtually any meal, these can play the role of side dish or sit center plate.

Turkey Meatballs: For a traditional meatball taste with a leaner meat, try a turkey meatball. To scrumptiously slenderize the traditional spaghetti and meatball plate, prepare them with the spaghetti squash shared in this yummy meatball make.

Skinny Chicken Parm Meatballs:There’s nothing better than taking a splurge meal and packing it into a skinny serving of flavor that leaves you feeling full and accomplished knowing the calories saved from avoiding face-planting yourself into a plate of traditional high calorie and fat laden chicken parmesan.

Healthy Meatball Sub: Serve this up for dinner and the fact that it's lower in calories and fat is likely to never be noticed. What will be noticed is the mouth-watering taste and flavor of a ballpark favorite served up with a guilt-free conscious.

Crockpot Mini Turkey Quinoa Meatballs: If you need to feed the family a filling meal but don’t have time for evening preparation, this slow cooker meatball recipe is a no brainer. Packed with filling quinoa and an array of aromatic spices, this dish is destined to fill your house with a savory scent and your family’s belly with a filling dish.

Skinny Slow Cooker Kale and Meatball Soup:An easy way to make a one-dish meal in a matter of minutes. The meatballs are the star of this soup, but there is no lack of a great supporting cast. Packed with the superfoodkale and hearty beans, this is a filling soup perfect for dinner, leaving you with delicious leftovers for the next day.

Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs:Brought to you by none other than Martha Stewart, this spin on meatballs offers a simple recipe that can be prepared in less than an hour. The broth base for this recipe allows it to be served as a soup, or a side. You can't go wrong either way!

Healthy Honey Garlic Meatballs: If you're looking for a gluten-free meatball option, look no further. With a sweet and savory combo, these meatballs have an array of flavorful ingredients from curry to garlic to make this mouth-watering meatball a must. (photo credit)

Do you have a skinny flavor that we missed? Be sure to share it in the comments below!